Coming Home
by melicitysmoak
Summary: Ten days ago, Oliver's team of elite marines had been dispatched on a mission in the rebel-infested mountains of Kasnia. Felicity learned that though the mission was successful, Oliver was among the injured, and she has been worried sick about her boyfriend since. Little did she know, Oliver and her friends have planned the surprise of her life in so short a time. [Olicity AU]
1. Chapter 1

**COMING HOME**

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 **Dedication: This is for Ficwriter93. Thanks for reading my fics and leaving encouraging reviews. :-)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow or The Flash or the characters in those shows.**

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 **Chapter 1**

Felicity knew what her friends were doing, and she was more than touched. She was grateful that she had a bunch of people in her life that genuinely cared; otherwise, she would probably go crazy in times like these when she felt most alone and anxious. She didn't know what she would do if she had to endure missing Oliver and worrying about him all by herself.

Iris, Caitlyn, and Dinah had gone out of their way to cheer her up. Iris had used her last day of paid leave at The Post. Caitlyn had requested for her interview – the final step in her application for med school – to be rescheduled. Dinah, a rookie cop in SCPD, had asked permission from her precinct's captain to swap shifts with another rookie, and her partner had obliged. The girls had told Felicity that she needed to take some time off and relax, get her mind off her worries, and just pamper herself in their company. It was something that they had not been able to do as friends as often as they used to, what with their new jobs and career choices now limiting the times that they could get together and just chill. And this was why the four of them were now sitting in comfy reclining chairs in one of the most expensive salons in downtown Central City, having their hair and nails done, fresh after getting soothing massages complete with aromatherapy. Felicity won't deny that all of the pampering certainly helped get her mind off her worries.

But in the middle of their casual conversation, Felicity heard Iris telling Caitlyn that the boys – meaning, their respective boyfriends – would be joining them for sandwiches and coffee at Jitters at six after they were done at the salon. At the mention of their significant others, Felicity had once again retreated to her go-to place for sulking and brooding. Felicity knew that her friend didn't mean to remind her about the fact that Barry, Ronnie, and Vince were actually _here_ in the city and were just a phone call or a text away from their girls, while _her_ Oliver was risking his life every day in no man's land for love of country and in the name of democracy and could only get in touch with her using a satellite phone once a month; that is, if he was on the base and not on a mission somewhere top secret where he was most probably getting shot at or driving rough terrain avoiding landmines. No, Felicity was sure that Iris didn't mean to remind her that Oliver was halfway around the world in the U.S. protectorate of Kasnia, which had been overrun by rebels for almost a year now.

* * *

Ten months, two weeks, and two days. That was how long she and Oliver had been apart. And though there were rare opportunities to Skype or to talk to each other via sat phone, she missed him so much. Whenever she would ask Oliver when he thought he was coming back, he couldn't give her a definite answer, but she always understood. Her heart ached every time something about Kasnia was reported in the papers or on CNN.

But ten days ago, intense fretting and worrying had taken over her, so much so that she hadn't gotten more than two hours of sleep a day. Who could blame her? Felicity was sure that Iris, Caitlyn, or Dinah would have circles underneath their eyes like she did – as dark as a racoon's, or worse – if it was Barry, Ronnie, or Vince that was out there, risking life and limb, fighting somebody else's war. She was sure they, too, wouldn't have much of an appetite, not even for Big Belly Burger. They, too, would be staring in front of their computer, of the paperwork on their desks, or of whatever it was that they were being paid to do in their respective jobs, just like she had been unable to focus on her work at Star Labs.

Her boss, Dr. Wells, had noticed that something was going on with her, and so had Cisco, a common friend of Caitlyn and Iris through whom Felicity had been highly recommended for hiring for Star Labs' IT department. In fact, Cicso had been the one that shared with her friends about her increased difficulty in focusing on the job in the past few days, and to suggest that perhaps she needed some time off. And now that she thought about it, Felicity very much appreciated that her boss and co-worker, as well as her best friends, had cared enough about her personal life to reward her with an all-expense-paid day at the spa and salon. Ten days of tossing and turning in her bed at night and waking up because of disturbing dreams where Oliver was injured or captured by the enemy had taken their toll on her after all, and she was tired of pretending that she was okay when she was not.

Ten days ago, Oliver's unit had been dispatched on a dangerous, sensitive mission in the rebel-infested mountains of Kasnia, which had necessitated that the team go dark. It was only two days after that their base of operations had received word that the mission had been "officially successful," which by textbook definition was that there was minimal to no casualties involved. Through unofficial channels, though, the very influential Queen family had gotten wind that although a significant group of rebels had been neutralized, and although no member of the American contingent had died, there had been a few marines that were seriously injured. Through her and Oliver's friend, John Diggle, who was Moira Queen's personal bodyguard – and who was also a former marine and a close friend of Oliver's current CO – Felicity had squeezed out the information that, indeed, Oliver had been among the wounded.

That was the detail that Robert and Moira Queen had intentionally kept, not just from her, but also from Oliver's younger sister Thea and best friend Tommy Merlyn, apparently, to keep them from worrying. It was the same detail that she had left out when her friends called or visited and asked how she had been holding up these past days. She hadn't even told her mother, whom she was sure would take the first flight out of Vegas to be with her to make sure she was okay. Nothing that anyone could do or say – no matter how sincere or well-intentioned – could really comfort her.

Felicity wasn't asking for much, not even a body-tingling kiss (which, truth be told, she missed and craved for like her life depended on it) or to be wrapped in his strong, loving arms. She knew that the only way her heart could be comforted was for her to see the love of her life alive and well, to reach out and touch him through the screen of her tablet, and to gaze into his beautiful blues so that she could tell him how much she loves him one more time. Was that too much to ask? She didn't think so. And yet eight days more had passed, and still there was no word from Kasnia or from the Queens.

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To be fair, Felicity had always known what she was getting into. She knew that the life of a marine – or anyone serving in the military, for that matter – wasn't easy. She knew that loving such a man wasn't easy. But she did anyway. She loved him with all her heart, by choice.

Way back in high school when she had developed a crush on her friend, and in time, he had finally reciprocated her unrequited feelings and asked her to be his girl, Oliver had always been vocal about his dream of serving the country as a marine. His parents had tried to dissuade him, but he was determined to follow through. Felicity hadn't tried to get in his way, because she truly wanted him to be happy, and she knew that he wouldn't be happy if he had pursued a business degree in the university and joined his family's Fortune 500 company like his parents had wanted. She had always known that his happiness would hurt her in one way or another because his life would always be on the line. But she believed that that was what love was really all about – wanting what was best for the other, not the self. She supported him all the way – until his graduation from marine training and all the way up to his deployment to Kasnia.

Even while they'd been apart for months, when she had gone off to Boston and pursued her own dreams in computer science and cyber security at MIT and he left for marine training in Camp Pendleton, California, nothing could keep them apart. Long distance relationships were hard, so they were told, and they had tried breaking up more than once "for their own good," as some well-meaning family and friends had advised. Yet still, they had always found their way back to each other. Felicity and Oliver had both known that they were endgame. Upon their graduation, they had promised each other never to break up again, not even when Oliver broke the news of his deployment to Kasnia at around the time Felicity had gotten the job in Central City where her long-time high school friends had also settled to pursue their careers.

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To be honest, Felicity was trying hard to enjoy herself at the moment in the company of her friends, who, in turn, were trying their best to cheer her up. They'd been avoiding mentioning anything remotely connected to Oliver or Kasnia, except for that unconscious slip up when Iris told Caitlyn that the guys were meeting up with them at Jitters later. Felicity tried to distract herself from thoughts of Oliver by picking from a number of chic nail polish colors and by looking through magazines to help her decide on how she wanted the stylist to do her hair after the treatments. She even asked her friends about how they were doing in their respective jobs and told stories about the different projects she was working on at Star Labs.

But later on, a news flash came on cable TV that caught the attention of all the ladies in the salon. CNN reported that heavy gunfire had broken out in the capital city of Kasnia as rebel groups attacked in retaliation for the attack of U.S. forces on one of their major installations in the mountains more than a week ago. Residents of the northern side of the city were being evacuated as rumors of bombings by rebel troops were supposed to ensue anytime there. U.S. military troops stationed elsewhere (including the base where Oliver's unit was stationed) were now being sent to reinforce the troops in the city.

Felicity's heart rate picked up, and by the time the news report came to an end, her heart was pounding heavily in her chest. Her palms were sweaty, and her lips quivered, not knowing whether she should scream or cry. She didn't even notice that she had already stood up halfway through the report, forcing the girl that was almost done straightening her hair to let go of the last section of her blonde tresses, and causing the other girl that was painting her pinky nail a teal green to miss, painting her knuckle instead. She didn't notice that her eyes had begun to pool with unshed tears, for even if her vision was getting blurry, her hearing captured every word that was being broadcasted live from the other side of the world.

Felicity also didn't notice when Iris pulled out her phone from her purse and speed-dialed Barry an emergency message for the guys that were waiting at Jitters across the street from the salon. It said: "Change of plans, guys. You gotta come. NOW."

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 **A/N: It would be nice to know what you think of this story. I was watching a YouTube video of soldiers coming home from deployment to surprise their girlfriends. The 10-minute clip made me tear up, and that's when I got the idea for this ficlet that I just had to write. Excited to find out how the story ends? Let me know what you think.**

 **Here's the link for the video: watch?v=QmAjLJ4TOds**


	2. Chapter 2

**COMING HOME**

 **Chapter 2**

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"What's goin' on?" Oliver asked Barry as he shifted on the chair he was sitting on at Jitters.

He had noticed that his friend's brows crinkled while reading a text message on his phone, which he assumed had come from Iris. As soon as Barry had put his phone back into his pocket, Barry had gone straight to where Ronnie was seated at their table. Barry had whispered something into Ronnie's ear, and then both of the guys looked at him with tentative expressions. Oliver knew that something was up. He only hoped it wasn't trouble, or that something about their plan had gone wrong.

"Change of plans," Barry replied. "Iris says we gotta go. Now." The look on Barry's face was an ironic mixture of hesitation and excitement.

"O-kay. Is that good or bad?" Oliver asked.

Barry explained, "I'm not exactly sure. But Iris would have told me something more if it was a bad thing. She just said that we have to go now. Everything's goin' down the way we planned. It's just that we're doing it right now instead of waiting for the gals to come here when they're done at the salon."

"Did she say why?" This time it was Ronnie asking, just as Vince joined the guys at the table, coming from the men's room.

"Nope," Barry answered, shaking his head while shrugging his shoulders. He then looked at Oliver again and said, "Look, everything's gonna be okay, Oliver. Don't worry. We've got this covered."

"Yeah," Ronnie seconded, "Felicity's gonna be shocked to see you, that's for sure. But it's gonna be a good kind of shock. You know what I mean?" He chuckled a bit, but instantly restrained himself from breaking out into laughter when he saw the stoic look on Oliver's face that told him that his cousin did not find that remark amusing at all.

Oliver knew that his cousin Ronnie was absolutely right. He wasn't exactly sure how Felicity was going to take it – seeing him here without so much as a warning. She'd probably use her loud voice on him (at best), or strangle him (at worst), when she finds out he was already in Central City without telling her. How did he get himself into this situation? His stomach flipped in nervousness, and he felt like he was going to be sick. He'd much rather face the rebels in Kasnia right now than upset his girlfriend. Why did he agree to this again? He couldn't remember.

Oliver wasn't really the practical joker kind of guy; in fact, he hated being the object of pranks even if they were just for fun. Felicity had learned that about him early on in their friendship, and although she loved to kid around and laugh at cool jokes, she had always respected his aversion for tricks and mischief. It was enough for either of them that she was the one usually spicing up their lives with humor. He, on the other hand, had always known how much she loved surprises of the pleasant kind, and even when they had still been "just friends," he had often succeeded in making her smile each time he had surprised her with unexpected visits, gifts, and thoughtful favors. Truth be told, he had done it each time simply because he loved to see her smile. Felicity's smile lit up her beautiful blue eyes and brightened her pretty face with an adorable pinkish hue. The image of her smiling while looking straight into his eyes had been etched into his mind – a vision of rapture that had gotten him through some of the toughest, darkest times in his life, especially as a marine, from basic training up to his deployment in Kasnia.

But this? Why did he now feel like everything was going to go wrong? Why was he having second-thoughts about whether or not she would appreciate this surprise? She loved surprises but hated mysteries. What if she sees this as such and ends up upset and hates him despite his best efforts to surprise her? What if she doesn't say 'yes'? He hadn't thought about that when his friends convinced him that surprising his girlfriend was a good idea.

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This was actually his sister's idea. Thea had gotten his and Felicity's friends to plan the whole thing because she was too far away in Starling City, and she knew that their parents wouldn't approve of them doing something that might give his girlfriend a heart attack.

Six days ago, Thea had eavesdropped into her parents' private conversation with John Diggle at the study in the Queen mansion. Minutes later, she had heard her brother's voice on speaker phone and had been relieved that Ollie (as she still fondly called him) was recuperating from his injuries and would soon be sent back Stateside, ending his tour in Kasnia. Thea had unceremoniously burst into the room to her parents' astonishment and shouted into the speaker phone, telling Oliver how excited she was that he was coming home soon. In that phone call, Oliver had confessed to his family that he wasn't planning on coming home to Starling when he arrived; instead, he was planning on going straight to Central City where his girlfriend was.

At the hospital where he had been admitted, he had insisted on making a phone call as soon as the helicopter that airlifted him from the mountains of Kasnia had landed on the helipad at the US army hospital in Germany. The doctors had acquiesced at his pleading and had allowed him the courtesy of one phone call before they sedated and prepped him for the surgery that would fix his injured right knee and remove the pieces of shrapnel that had been embedded in his right thigh and right side. He had made up his mind on the helicopter ride that his first call would be to his family in Starling City, but that his first destination upon reaching Stateside would be Central City – to see Felicity Smoak. Oliver had not told his parents and sister then that he was planning on proposing to his girlfriend already; nevertheless, somehow Thea had sensed the reason why he had wanted to go straight to Central City instead of coming home to Starling. (The siblings knew each other too well.) So, as soon as the long-distance call ended, Thea immediately called up Iris West and suggested that they set up the surprise visit of Oliver in Central City.

Oliver had been discharged from the hospital in Germany three days ago with a knee brace, crutches to help him walk, and a lengthy prescription of pain killers and other medications. He had gotten on the first available military flight out of Europe and headed for Central City, having taken the rest of his sick leave from the service to recuperate. He'd arrived at the airport last night and was greeted by Barry and Iris, who had immediately accompanied him to the jewelers to make the necessary purchase for today's surprise proposal.

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Oliver dug into his pocket and ran his fingers up and down the velvet box that carried the simple yet elegant gem he planned on slipping into his girlfriend's finger. Would she say 'yes'? She had to. He desperately wanted her to. Nothing more would make him happier. The only thing he had looked forward to, ever since he had regained consciousness from the blast that had nearly taken his life, was to be with Felicity again – this time, permanently. He wasn't going to waste any minute more of his second chance at life without asking the love of his life to marry him. Nothing else mattered to him now other than that she became his and he became hers at last. Remembering these things gave him renewed confidence about what he was about to do. He was going to ask her to marry him, and he wasn't going to leave without hearing her say 'yes' – even if he had to get down on his bad knee to get her to do so.

"All right then… What are we waiting for?" Oliver asked the guys. Without waiting for their answer, he stood up, pushing down against the table to prop himself up. He picked up the crutches that he had placed against the wall near his chair and began to make his way towards Jitters' exit doors.

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Felicity couldn't focus. After that flash news report on TV, she couldn't get her mind off Oliver. Where was he? Was he still in the base near the mountains in Kasnia, or was he in the capital city that was now taking heavy gunfire from rebel troops and was in danger of bombings any moment? She didn't know what to do, but she was sure that she shouldn't just be sitting pretty in a salon with her nails being painted teal green and not do anything.

"I'm sorry, miss…" she muttered under her breath as she politely withdrew her hand from the girl that was removing the nail polish from her pinky knuckle. "I… I just need to get out of here. I'm sorry."

She moved to stand, and when she was upright, Caitlyn approached her and touched her forearm, the one that held on to the strap of her purse. "Felicity, please. You have to calm down. There's really nothing you can do from here right now."

"I can't just sit here and wait, Cait. I have to find out where Oliver is and what's happening to him. I need to call John," Felicity said, her voice shaking as she spoke. She wanted to cry, but the tears welling up in her eyes refused to fall.

Dinah approached them and said, "John would call if there was news, right? He always does. Why don't you just sit back down and let the girls finish your nails and your hair?" Iris also joined in and added, "Everything's gonna be okay, Felicity. You'll see."

Felicity shakes her head vehemently. "The only way I'm gonna be okay is when I see Oliver again, alive and well." Her hands curled tightly into fists and her knuckles turning white with tension as she grips her purse and starts to leave. "I have to do something. I can't… I can't just sit here and-"

"Hi, babe."

She almost didn't hear it because of the clamor in her head, because of her friends fussing over her, because of the buzzing of the TV in the background. But her ears immediately recognized the timbre of his voice, and her heart unmistakably sensed his presence across the room behind her. She turned around to see if what she had heard and felt was real.

It was. Oliver was right there. Just a few strides away.

She yearned to reach out and touch him, but her feet wouldn't move from where she stood. Were her eyes playing tricks on her? He was supposed to be in Kasnia. Nobody told her that he was on his way home. To her.

Was this really real? Was Oliver really there?

Normally, she would be angry and upset that she had been left out, excluded from the loop that she was definitely entitled to be part of. She also hated mysteries, and this – how Oliver now stood right in front of her – was certainly a conundrum. But for some reason, that did not matter to her anymore. What was important was that he was alive. He was right there, just within her reach. Wasn't that what she had been hoping and praying for in the last few days? An answered prayer was too good to be true, yes, but it was true nonetheless.

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It took her another second to realize that it would be harder for Oliver to get to her faster from where he stood near the entrance of the salon. He was holding on to a pair of crutches, and he was wearing a knee brace. The right side of his beautiful face was black and blue, and he had a deep cut near his right brow that had been clearly stitched up. She felt terrible for him. What horrors had he lived through? How badly had he suffered? Her heart broke just thinking about the pain he had to endure.

But her man was standing tall in front of her despite his wounds and bruises. She didn't care about the crutches. His wounds would heal in time, and so would the wounds in her heart. Oliver had made it home. To her. That was all that mattered.

Not a second more was wasted. Felicity dropped her purse and closed the gap between them in just a few strides. She crashed gently into him, careful not to cause him to lose his footing and fall backwards. One of the crutches still fell, though, for Oliver had intentionally let go of it so that he could wrap his one arm around her waist as she buried her face into his chest, sobbing and wetting his crisp and neatly pressed uniform with tears of joy.

When she pulled back to look into his eyes, she said softly, "Oliver… You're… You're here."

He looked down at her and smiled, replying, "Yes, I am. I needed to see you."

"How? Why didn't you…? I can't believe you're here." She was still crying.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, and Oliver wiped them away with the pads of his thumb. He wanted to cup the sides of her face with both of his hands, but he needed to keep his left hand on the crutch so that he wouldn't fall.

"I'm sorry. I know you don't like being kept in the dark. But I also know how much you love surprises. I hope you liked this one?"

Felicity nodded repeatedly. "Yes. Yes! Absolutely!" She hugged him again and sighed in his warm embrace. When they pulled apart, she continued, "When did you get back? Do your parents know you're here? Does Thea? How long can you stay? Are you okay? I can-"

"Fe-li-ci-ty…"

"I'm sorry, I'm just too… I just can't believe this is happening," she said in between sobs that were beginning to fade.

Oliver smiled at her affectionately and answered, "I'll tell you everything later. Right now, I have one more surprise for you."

"I don't think my heart can take another surprise," she told him.

Oliver simply chuckled as he caressed her cheek with his free hand. "I think it can. At least, I hope so." He winked at her, his eyes shining brightly.

He pulled back his hand from her face and turned towards Barry. They exchanged looks and then Barry nodded, moving to place a chair for Oliver to sit on. He lowered himself and sat on it, still leaning against one crutch, and then he pulled out the velvet box from his pocket.

He opened it in front of her and said with a tender, loving smile, "Felicity Megan Smoak, will you marry me, and make me the happiest man on the face of the earth?"

Felicity gasped in pleasant disbelief, her hand coming up to cover her gaping mouth. She then lowered herself, bending down and forward to meet his eyes. "Yes! Yes, I _will_ marry you, Oliver Jonas Queen." She then held on to the sleeves of his marine uniform and closed the gap to kiss him. However, he beat her to it and captured her lips with his own. Pulling back for air, they both opened their eyes after a passionate kiss that demonstrated how much they had longed for each other after being apart for more than ten months.

"I love you," Oliver told her, as he slipped the ring into her finger.

"I love you, too, baby," Felicity responded, quickly pecking him on the lips again.

They didn't even notice that their friends were already applauding and cheering, some even with eyes glassy with tears. They didn't care. They were in each other's arms at long last, and they had just committed to taking their relationship to the next level. It was exhilarating. It was ethereal. It was pure ecstasy.

After so long, and after almost being permanently separated by tragedy, this moment certainly felt more than just a regular homecoming. They were each other's home.

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 **A/N: So what do you think? It would be nice to know your thoughts. I originally thought that this would be just a 2-part ficlet, and this is how it ends. But a couple of readers in another site are asking for more, and after thinking about it, I think that one more chapter wouldn't hurt. It's going to be sort of an epilogue, but I'm going to write it as a legit chapter about a second homecoming that Oliver - this time - will never forget. ;-) Hope you stay tuned for that last chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

**COMING HOME**

 **Chapter 3**

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 **A/N: I hope you like this bonus chapter that a couple of readers asked for. Wish granted!**

 **Summary: This time around, it's Oliver's turn to be on the receiving end of a homecoming surprise.**

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Felicity was thankful that Thea had offered to drive her to Camp Pendleton. She wasn't confident enough to do it all by herself. She could handle the short trips to the grocery store or wherever else she needed to go to for errands in the past few months, but driving that far would make her even sicker than usual. It was a good thing that Star Labs still employed her on a work-from-home basis. Family and friends constantly told her that the morning sickness (which, for her, was really all-day sickness) would fade when she made it past her first trimester, but it seemed like _her_ pregnancy was not what most people would consider a textbook case. She was well into her sixth month already, and her bump was certainly unconcealable even when she wore Oliver's favorite sweatpants and hoodie. She was certainly grateful that she did not have to drive herself to Marine Corps Base to pick up Oliver; she did not want to have to pull over at the expressway and retch her guts out on the pavement, especially not when she was on her way to meet Oliver in person after six long months.

See, the anxious feeling that might make her feel sick again wasn't just about dreading the 45-minute drive from their home to MCB. It was more about being worried over Oliver's reaction when he sees her very noticeable baby bump. For the very first time.

When she'd decided to keep the pregnancy a secret from him, she had been very sure that surprising him was a really brilliant idea – perhaps the best one that she'd ever come up with in all their years together. But now as she sat beside Thea on the passenger's seat, her confidence was crumbling. She wondered if perhaps the last six months in Kasnia might have resurrected Oliver's former serious, stoic self, the one that hated pranks and practical jokes. What if he didn't think the surprise was a pleasant one? What if her husband resented her for keeping him in the dark about their unborn child all this time?

Husband. Yes.

Two months after Oliver had proposed to Felicity, they had gotten married in a simple but heart-warming ceremony in Starling City with their closest family and friends in attendance, complete with all the ceremonial rites that Oliver was entitled to as a marine. They would have gotten married sooner, before he got deployed somewhere once again, had Oliver not made a big deal about him walking down the aisle to take his place at the altar without his crutches. Felicity had reassured him that she did not need a fancy wedding with all the works and that she really did not mind him having his crutches at the wedding and the honeymoon; she had told him that all she needed was him. But Oliver was Oliver, and he had insisted on waiting until his doctors and his therapist cleared him to walk again without the crutches and the knee brace.

The Queens and John Diggle had been able to pull some strings and had gotten Oliver's month-long sick leave extended in order to let him recover completely from his injuries before reporting to his unit at MCB. While Oliver was preoccupied with rehab, Felicity and Thea had been preoccupied with wedding preps, coordinating everything between them via email and chat. In such a short time, they'd been able to put together a pretty modest but meaningful and memorable wedding, which was followed by a two-week honeymoon on a Caribbean Cruise.

But, as the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end." Barely a week after the newlyweds had returned and settled into their new home about 45 minutes away from MCB, the dreaded call came. Oliver's CO had informed him that he was being sent back to Kasnia asap. Apparently, the rebel forces had been quelled, and now US troops were trying to maintain peace and order there as the government of the struggling protectorate re-established itself. Oliver was being promoted and then sent to lead a unit tasked to train the Kasnian army in counter-insurgency strategies to strengthen homeland security. His CO had assured Oliver that he was not going to be sent into combat again any time soon, seeing he was still recovering from his injuries and he had already served his time in the past tour, but he also told Oliver that he was the best person for the training mission because he had been in the middle of all the action in Kasnia in the past year. Oliver had respectfully and proudly accepted the mission (not that he could actually refuse it). Needless to say, he had spent the rest of the day comforting his new wife that he was going to be relatively safer this time around.

Felicity had scarcely gotten over the temporary separation with her husband when she realized that she had missed her period. Sure enough, the pregnancy test and the appointment with her OB had confirmed her hunch. She had called her mother first. And because her mother is "her mother," Donna Smoak had been ecstatic – that operative word being a completely bland understatement. Felicity had been five weeks along when she'd found out, and when she had finished doing the math, she was convinced that the baby was conceived in the last few days of their honeymoon, which had been spent in Aruba.

Felicity knew that the fewer the people that knew about her pregnancy, the better chances she had of keeping it a secret from Oliver and pulling off a spectacular surprise when he came home. She had kept silent about it for the most part, having only told her mother. Oliver had regularly called and video-chatted each week, and she had been able to evade anything that might give her secret away. Once he had remarked that she looked a bit pale, but she had simply told him that she was tired because she had been coding for a Star Labs project all day, which was true. She and Oliver had never lied to each other ever since they had gotten together, and she was not about to start just so that she could pull off a surprise. On quite a few occasions, she had cried profusely while telling Oliver how much she missed him and nagging him to request that he be sent home sooner, but he had been clueless about the real reason why she easily became overly emotional – pregnancy hormones.

Later on, when her bump began to show, Felicity had been very careful with the way she held her phone or set up her laptop camera, always making sure that Oliver only ever saw her from the chest up. Once in a recent video-chat, he had commented that she seemed to be gaining weight, what with her slightly chubbier cheeks showing. She had laughed it off and merely told him that her appetite had improved, which was also true. Oliver had been happy about it because he thought that she was adjusting better to his being away.

Nevertheless, at the beginning of the third month, the all-day sickness had gotten worse. And when Iris, Caitlyn, and Dinah had to bring her to the hospital after she fainted during their lunch date, it had been impossible to keep her little secret from her close friends and from her in-laws. Robert and Moira Queen were thrilled that they were about to have their first grandchild soon, but none was more thrilled than any of their loved ones and friends (other than Donna, of course) as Thea was.

* * *

When Thea found out a week ago that Oliver was coming home, she immediately bought a ticket and flew from Starling to be with Felicity, and Felicity appreciated that she was there for the past few days. She even volunteered to be the designated driver to and from MCB. Truth be told, Thea was really not as excited to see her brother again as she was to see his reaction to his wife's homecoming surprise.

"Are you ready for this?" Thea asked, her eyes not veering away from the highway in front of her.

Felicity sighed. "I think so?" She was quiet for a beat, and then she nervously asked her sister-in-law, "How do you think Oliver will take it?"

"I think he's going to be shocked, as in _really_ shocked…" Thea replied. When she saw Felicity's eyes widen in worry, she tried to neutralize her initial response. "…in a pleasant kind of way, of course. I mean, the two of you are going to have a baby in three months. He's going to be a father. It's pretty neat! He ought to be happy." She turned to Felicity and smiled.

"You think so?" Felicity asked again in trepidation, biting her lower lip as she waited for an answer.

"I know so." Thea once again shifted her gaze from the road to her sister-in-law. "Don't you worry, Lis. My brother loves you more than anything, and he'll love the baby that you two have created together. I'm sure of it." She chuckled a bit, and then added, "I'm also sure that he's going to have an internal freak-out, but knowing Ollie? It's not even going to show on his face. I'm willing to bet that the first thing he'll do is hug you, then kiss you, and then kiss your bulging belly."

Felicity sighed and flashed Thea a small smile. She really hoped that Thea was right.

* * *

The rest of the drive to Pendleton was quiet and uneventful, but the reunion was quite the opposite. Oliver and Felicity made quite a scene.

Oliver had arrived at MCB that morning and had immediately processed the month-long leave that he had previously filed when he was still in Kasnia. He was relieved that the paperwork was in order, so he was immediately given permission by his superiors to leave the base.

It was Thea that met him at the gate where family members usually waited and fetched their marines. Oliver was pleasantly surprised to see her. After a hug and a brief exchange of pleasantries, he asked, "Where's Felicity?"

Thea's eyes grew wide. "Felicity? Oh… she had to go to the ladies' room."

Five minutes ago, Felicity had to rush to the restroom. Thea would have gone with her, but Felicity did not want Oliver coming out of the gate without anyone greeting him, so she insisted on going by herself, telling Thea that she'd be fine. Thea wasn't sure whether her bathroom emergency was for peeing or puking, so she thought it best not to elaborate. She had been tasked to stall instead.

Thea led Oliver to a nearby row of chairs, and they sat down to wait for Felicity to come back. They started a casual conversation, with Oliver asking how their parents were, how her boyfriend Roy was, and when she would be graduating from college. Thea could see that Oliver was distracted and was growing impatient as the minutes passed by. She knew that her brother was anxious to see Felicity, and because she knew Ollie too well, she was willing to bet that he was beginning to worry about what was taking his wife so long. She tried to distract him by asking him questions about the last six months in Kasnia, but it wasn't working. One more minute of small talk, and Oliver was going to explode.

His forearms rested on his knees as he bent forward. His thumbs rubbed against his forefingers, and his teeth were grinding inside his mouth. He was very excited (and anxious) to see his wife again. "Thea, would you mind checking up on Felicity? I wonder what's taking her so long," Oliver requested.

"Sure," Thea replied, patting her brother's knee with a smile.

"Thanks."

Thea stood up, leaving her brother seated.

When Thea reached the entrance to the public restrooms, Felicity was just coming out of the ladies' room. "What happened? Are you okay?" she asked Felicity.

"I'm fine. I just had to pee, really bad. Happens all the time, and I mean, _all_ the time. I just had to freshen up a little bit," answered Felicity. "How do I look?" she asked, smoothing her pink, sleeveless knitted top and making sure that she hadn't forgotten to zip up her maternity denim jeans. She wasn't ready to wear those maternity dresses just yet, so she decided in favor of a get-up that would still showcase the aspects of her figure that her husband appreciated most.

"You look terrific! Ollie's going to love this surprise," answered Thea.

* * *

Oliver was done waiting. He had sent his sister to check on his wife and bring her back, but they still hadn't returned. Impatiently, he stood and picked up his bags, intending to go after both women and wait for them at the entrance of the public restrooms. But when he turned towards the direction of his intended destination, he saw Felicity approaching, Thea following a few paces behind her.

He was completely awe-struck at the sight of the woman he'd been aching to see for months. Her beautiful face shone like the sun, her eyes sparkling like diamonds, and her lips a luscious pink hue. She was gorgeous, with her golden blonde locks flowing down her shoulders, the flawless skin of her arms framing her attractively sculpted body. He'd memorized the curves of her hips and her legs before, and he noticed that something was different about them now, something better in an alluring kind of way. Most of all, her midsection was obviously bigger than usual, but he found that it suited her perfectly and made her even more desirable to behold.

It took him a few seconds more for the thought that she might be pregnant to register in his mesmerized mind. At first, he was confused, wondering how in the world that could have happened when he was half-way around the world in the past six months. But he trusted her with all his heart and believed that she could never, and would never, cheat on him. So, he dismissed all doubts and tried to think more clearly. He needed to hear it for himself. As Felicity came nearer, all smiles, the thought that he was more likely going to be a father began to sink in.

Felicity stopped a couple of feet in front of him and smiled tenderly. "Hey, babe."

"Hi…" was all Oliver could say as he let out a breath that he realized he was holding in.

"How are you?" she asked him shyly, unsure of how he was taking her surprise.

"I… I'm good. _Very_ good. And you?"

" _Very_ pregnant," she replied, trying to hold back a full-blown grin.

Oliver swallowed hard. So…it was true. He wasn't hallucinating after all.

"You are?" he asked in utter shock.

"Mm-hm…" Felicity took a step forward. "Welcome home, Oliver. You're going to be a daddy real soon."

That did it.

In a split-second, Oliver took the last step to close their distance and captured his wife's lips in his. The kiss was not chaste at all. It was desperate, because he had been waiting for months to taste her and drink her in. It was passionate, because she had been saving all of the ardor in her soul for this very moment. It was proud, because _he_ wanted everyone around them to know that she was his and he was hers, and because she wanted everyone around them to know that the baby she was carrying was his. Together they were bringing a little life into this world. Her arms snaked around his neck, and her hands caressed the hair at the back of his head. His arms wrapped around her waist as he pulled her in as close as she could get despite the bump in her belly. His hands, taking a mind of their own, began to wander to up and down her arched back, her hips, until they found their way to the sides of her baby bump.

Soon, people in the waiting area – servicemen and civilian alike – were starting to notice their public display of (intense) affection. Mothers who brought along their little children covered their little ones' eyes. Some of the marines that stood watching began to whistle. The sound of catcalls and Thea clearing her throat next to them finally snapped them out of lover's oblivion.

Oliver pulled back, quickly pulled out his handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped Felicity's lips and then his own. Then he yelled at everyone who was watching, "Sorry about that, folks. But please cut me some slack. I just found out that I'm going to be a father soon." He grinned widely as the onlookers applauded, and Felicity thought that Oliver smiling and beaming like that was her favorite sight in the world.

When the applause died down and people began minding their own business again, Oliver took Felicity into his embrace. She rested her head on his chest and they both just breathed the other in. They stood that way for a while, and Thea did not dare break them apart.

"Can't believe how much I've missed you, honey," Oliver whispered to Felicity.

"Neither do I," she replied just as softly.

"You have made me the happiest man on the face of the earth for the second time, Felicity."

"Yeah? So… whose homecoming surprise is better, yours or mine?" She teased him and laughed.

They were still laughing when they left MCB that day, both of them not knowing that the other one was already beginning to cook up his or her next homecoming surprise.

THE END


End file.
